Plated spinning ring and method of making same



Feb. 7, 1961 J. H. FOARD 2,970,425

PLATED SPINNING RING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed May 21, 1956 JOHN H. FoAED,

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS .United States Patent F John H. Foard, Box 574, Newton, N.C., assignor of fifty percent to Walter A. Kluttz, Gastonia, N.C-

Filed May 21, 1956, Ser. No. 586,228

4 Claims. (c1. 51-119 This invention relates to rings which are generally termed as spinning rings and are used on spinning and twisting machines in the textile industry.

Spinning rings have been commonly made of hardened steel and the speed at which the spindles thereof could rotate has been limited to a certain extent and, due to the high speed at which a traveler rotates around the spinning ring, the spinning ring becomes worn and it has been necessary, in some instances, to provide lubrication between the traveler and the ring, oil or grease being commonly used for that purpose.

Also, in spite of the fact that such rings are hardened, ground and polished, they still would possess pitted external surfaces having a relatively high coeflicient of friction with a surface roughness value of approximately 18.2 root mean square. Various attempts have been made to overcome the above defects to permit a higher operating speed of the machine, to extend the life of the rings and to extend the periods during which travelers could be used before they are replaced. Such attempts have included coating the spinning ring with a plastic material such as nylon or a metal such as nickel, silver, copper or the like. However, such attempts have not been entirely satisfactory due to the many operations involved heretofore in the application of a metal coating to the various surfaces of a spinning ring and, in the case of a plastic coating, although a plastic coating will reduce the coefficient of friction to where a lubricant need not necessarily be used between the traveler and the ring, the surface would, nevertheless, become worn and roughened by the traveler in a relatively short time. Also, when a metal coating of the character described was used heretofore, all of the then known materials applied to the spinning ring by electro-plating would assume substantially the same surface conformations as those of the surfaces to which they were applied so the resultant spin- .ning ring would still have wearing surfaces which were pitted or, in other words, which had minute depressions and burrs throughout the wearing surfaces with a resultant undesirably high coefiicient of friction.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a ring and method of making the same, wherein the ring has hard smooth wearing surfaces, free of depressions and/or burrs, with a resultant low coefiicient of friction between the traveler and the ring to facilitate increasing vthe speed of the machine on which they are used, to speeds ring and the traveler is reduced to a minimum, the useful life of travelers used with the improved ring is extended considerably as compared to travelers when used on rings as manufactured heretofore.

It is another object of this invention to provide a spinning ring which is so plated as to overcome defects, such 2,970,425 PatentedFeb. 7, 19 61- ice as those described heretofore with respect to conventionally plated rings, and wherein the material with which the ring is plated has a leveling characteristic heretofore unknowninsofar as the electro-plating of spinning rings is concerned; that is, the outer surface of the coating material does not follow the contours of the surfaces of the ring to which it is applied but, instead, all depressions are filled with the metal, all burrs or other minute protuberances are coated with the metal and the coating metal is leveled with surrounding surfaces so the resultant surface has a sufiicient hardness or tenacity to withstand the wear due to the travel of the traveler on the ring and also has an exceptionally low coefficient of friction which is known to have had a roughness value of as low as 1.2 root mean square.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- I Figure l is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a ring rail showing the improved spinning ring mounted on a ring holder carried by the ring rail with the upper portion of a bobbin to which yarn is being directed by a traveler mounted on the ring;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved ring removed from the ring holder;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the ring shown in Figure 2 as it would appear when electro-plated in the conventional manner, and wherein irregularities in the outer surfaces of the ring are exaggerated as though viewed through a microscope;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 illustrating the improved coating on the ring and showing how depressions and burrs appearing in the ring, as machined prior to application of the coating, are leveled by the improved coating as compared with the coating employed on the previously polished ring in Figure 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a conventional traversing ringrail of a spinning or twisting machine or analogous machine which has a plurality of ring holders 11 mounted in the usual openings thereof, only one of which is shown.

Each ring holder 11 supports a ring 12 on which a con-' ventional traveler 13 is loosely mounted for rotation thereon, the traveler 13 serving to guide yarn Y or similar strand material from a suitable source not shown to a rotating bobbin 14 mounted on a spindle 15. Hereinafter, the ring 12 will be termed as a spinning ring, although it is to be distinctly understood that the principles of the present invention are also applicable to rings used on twisting machines and any other machines which utilize a ring traveler and ring for guiding yarn or other strand material to a bobbin or yarn carrier.

The spinning ring 12 may be of conventional construction, but it is preferable that a reversible spinning ring of the type shown in the drawings be used, which spinning ring comprises axially opposed annular flanges 20, 21 which are connected by a composite web including portions 22, 23. It will be noted that the web portions 22, 23 converge inwardly from their junctures with the central or medial portions of the respective flanges 20, 21 to the junctures of the web portions 22, 23. The innermost surface of the Web formed from portions 22, 23 preferably is disposed in a plane substantially alined with the inner peripheral edges of the flanges 2 0, '21. It is apparent that the ring 12 is reversible to the extent that pounds capable of being applied by an electrolytic process of deposition while the portion of the spinning ring 12 shown in Figures 4 illustrates the spinning ring as improved by the electrodeposition of a metal coating C-1 having an inherent leveling characteristic in accordance with the present invention.

The ring 12 is actually in the form of a metal core'to which the conventional type of metal coating C is applied in Figure 3 and to which the improved metalcoatingC-l is applied in Figure 4. In Figure 3, the core of the ringylZ is shown substantially as it might appear when viewed through a microscope after having been machined, ground, polished, heat-treated and polished again, electroplated according to conventional practice and, finally, buffed and burnished. In Figure 4, the core of ring 12 is shown substantially as it might appear when viewed through a microscope after having beenmachined, heattreated and then electroplated or otherwise coated ac cording to my improved method.

In either event, the outer surfaces of the metal core, of the ring 12 have a large number of minute irregularities thereon such as depressions 25 and burrs or protuberances 26. These irregularities are exaggerated in Figures 3 and 4 for purposes of clarity and, since the core is ground and polished in Figure 3 and is only machined in Figure 4, it is apparent that the irregularities 25, 26 are more pronounced in Figure 4 than in Figure 3.

Although irregularities 25, 26 are reduced in quantity and others are reduced in depth by polishing the steelring before and after the heat-treating operation or by polishing the ring prior to the heat-treating operation and then burnishing the ring, when the metal of the conventional chemical components is applied to the ring 12 to form the coating C of Figure 3 in the usual manner of electrodeposition, the coating C follows or conforms to the surface of the metal to which it is applied so the outer surfaces of the coating C are also relatively rough and contain irregularities 30, 31 which substantially conform to the respective irregularities 25, 26 on the outer surfaces of the core of the ring 12.

In other words, in order to obtain a substantially smooth outer surface to the conventional coating C when applied to a spinning ring, a substantial number of steps are required and, even then, the outer surface of the conventional coating C will have a substantial number of minute depressions and protuberances therein. The steps necessary in producing a substantially smooth wearing surface in utilizing conventional metal coating materials such as chromium have been practiced heretofore substantially as follows:

(1) Machine the ring.

(2) Grind and then hand-polish the ring while in the chuck of a lathe.

(3) Case-harden the ring so it has a surface hardness of approximately 64 Rockwell C scale.

(4) Final polishing or burnis-hing of the wearing surfaces of the ring.

(5) Plate the surfaces of the ring with chromium by the electrolytic process of deposition.

(6) Buff and burnish the ring.

Now, the improved ring coating C-1 shown in Figure 4 has a leveling agent which, as heretofore stated, gives the coating material C-l the inherent characteristic of filling all the depressions 25 and filling all spaces between adjacent protuberances 26 in the outer surfaces of the coreof the ring 12 without the outer surfaces of the coating material C-1 conforming to the contour of such depressions and protuberances so the outer surface of the coating C-l is leveled or, in other words, remains uninterrupted throughout, although the depressions 25 may be of'substantial depth and the protuberances may project substantially from the mean planes of the surfaces of the core, relatively speaking. By utilizing a coating material ofthis character, the core of the ring 12 need only be machined, heat-treated and plated. Thus, it is apparent that the number of steps necessary in the manufacture of the ring is greatly reduced and, also, the wearing surfaces of the ring possess a smoothness which has been unobtainable with rings having a conventional coating applied thereto in the manner heretofore described.

In actual experiments, several unplated spinning rings having a root mean square-value ranging from 22 to 32 (averaging 27 root mean square) were plated according to the present inventiontoproduce the coating C-1 of Figure 4. After plating, the rings had a root mean square value of from 1.2 to 2.6 or an average root mean square value of 19.

A metallic coating material possessing the leveling characteristics to form the coating Cll of Figure 4 is fully disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,712,522 issued to Otto Kardos et al. on July 5, 1955, for example. The Kardos et al. patent describes a bright nickel plating for electrodeposition on metal, which plating material may be composedof many different compounds. However, those compounds having a leveling (smoothing) action are only those known as acetylenic compounds.

As defined in said patent, water-soluble acetylenic com pounds when incorporated as addition agents in a nickel electroplating bath, are primarily used for promoting the formation of bright and ductile nickel electrodeposits from said bath. However, water-soluble acetylenic com: pounds also promote an exceptional leveling action in the formation of nickel electrodeposits. In the standard sulphate-chloride-boric acid bath at 50 C. and 40 amperes per square foot, with air agitation, the roughness value (root mean square value in microinches) before plating a machined spinning ring core was approximately 27. and, after plating or coating the ring core with 0.002 inch of nickel, the surface of the ring had a roughness value of 1.9 rootmean square, for example.

In the formation of the plating C1, an acetylenic compound such as 0.2 gram per liter butynediol was included in the bath with a sulfo-oxygen compound such as 4.0 grams per liter naphthalene trisulfonate. There are many different types of acetylenic and sulfo-oxygen compounds, as disclosed in sa.d patent, which will produce the smoothing or leveling action. This leveling action can only be produced, however, in presence of an acetylenic compound either alone or combined with a sulfo-oxygen compound.

Various acetylenic and sulfo-oxygen compounds are described in said patent as well as the entire process involved in the formation of smooth nickel electrodeposits and, accordingly, a further description is deemed unnecessary. In fact, there may be other plating processes which employ a leveling agent to produce a smooth surface on the spinning ring 12 having an extremely low roughness value of from, say 1.2 to 2.6 root mean square, and the process described in said patent is mentioned herein only by way of description and is not to be considered a limitation.

According to the present invention, when utilizing the process described in said patent, the steps involved in the manufacture of the ring merely include (1) ma.- chining the ring, (2) heat-treating the ring and (3) plating the ring while utilizing a leveling agent.

It is thus seen that a substantially lesser number of steps and amount of time are involved in the manufacture of rings according to the present invention as compared to the method used heretofore in order to produce a smooth surface having an extremely low root mean square value. There are many advantages to a ring produced according to the present invention, including the following:

(1) No breaking-in period is required when new rings are installed in the machine. Heretofore, it has been customary when breaking in a new ring, to change the traveler every two-hours for the first'two days and then change it every four to eight hours for several additional days and, during this breaking-in period, it was necessary to reduce the speed of the machine from twenty to twenty-five percent below normal operating speed.

Such a breaking-in period has been necessary in order to more effectively level intercontacting surfaces of the ring and the traveler and, particularly, for removing any minute protuberances or burrs 30 from the wearing surfaces of the ring and thereby reduce the coefficient of friction between the ring and the traveler. This breaking-in period is eliminated with theimproved ring not only because of the hardness of the wearing surfaces of the ring but also it is extremely important that the wearing surfaces are leveled in order to eliminate the breaking-in period.

(2) The useful life of the ring is greatly increased as'compared to that of rings used heretofore and, because of the extremely low roughness value of the improved ring of the present invention, the useful life of each traveler used with the improved ring is increased substantially above what it would be if the traveler was used with a conventional ring.

(3) It has been customary heretofore to operate the spinning or twisting machines at a spindle speed of from nine thousand to ten thousand revolutions per minute. The improved ring has increased this speed by several thousand revolutions per minute because of the low coefficient of friction between the traveler and the improved ring.

(4) The ring is more resistant to corrosion or rust than rings which have been plated in the ordinary manner. Heretofore, burrs or other protuberances which were coated with metal in the conventional manner were so tightly clamped in the ring holder (see the bottom flange in the groove G of the holder 11 in Figure 1) that the burrs and other protuberances engaging the holder would be compressed by the holder so portions of the ring core were no longer plated and such portions would corrode or rust. Thus, the ring could not be reversed without repolishing the same. Of course, the improved plated ring is devoid of such burrs or protuberances.

(5) Rings have been plated, according to the process herein defined, in as short a period as four minutes.

(6) There is approximately ninety-three percent less friction between the traveler and the ring as compared to case hardened steel rings which are not plated.

(7) The necessity of polishing the ring prior to plating the ring is eliminated both before and after the heat-treating operation.

(8) The bufling and burnishing operations heretofore 6 required when rings have been plated by conventional processes are eliminated.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

Iclaim:

1. A ring for spinning and twisting machines comprising an annular metallic core having a macroscopically smooth surface, said macroscopically smooth surface exhibiting depressions and protuberances thereon when viewed under a microscope, a coating of nickel on said macroscopically smooth surface, said coating being deposited on said macroscopically smooth surface by electroplating the nickel from a bath containing a leveling catalyst, said nickel coating filling the depressions and protuberances on the macroscopically smooth surface of said metallic core and presenting an outer hard microscopically smooth surface for said ring having a surface roughness value no greater than 2.6 root mean square.

2. A ring for spinning and twisting machines as defined in claim 1, wherein said metallic core comprises case-hardened steel. t

3. A ring for spinning and twisting machines comprising an annular metallic core having a macroscopically smooth surface, said macroscopically smooth surface exhibiting depressions and protuberances thereon when viewed under a microscope, and a self-leveling coating of nickel to said macroscopically smooth surface, said nickel coating filling the depressions and protuberances on the macroscopically smooth surface of said metallic core and presenting an outer hard microscopically smooth surface for said ring having a surface roughness value no greater than 2.6 root mean square.

4. A ring for spinning and twisting machines as defined in claim 3, wherein said metallic core comprises case-hardened steel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 273,090 Husband Feb. 27, 1883 1,595,858 Crompton Aug. 10, 1926 2,572,140 Haley Oct. 23, 1951 2,654,705 Case Oct. 6, 1953 2,712,522 Kardos July 5, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 193,587 Great Britain Mar. 1, 1923 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certificate Patent No. 2,970,425 Patented February 7, 1961 John H. Foard Application having been made jointly by John H. Foard, the inventor named in the patent above identified; Walter A. K1uttz,'Gastonia, North Carolina, assignee of a part interest in the patent; and Francis L. Laque, South Orange, New Jersey, for the issuance of a certificate under the provisions of Title 85, Section 256 of the United States Code, adding the name of the said Francis L. Laque to the patent as a joint inventor, and a showing and proof of facts satisfying the requirements of the said section having been submitted, it is this 13th day of August 1963, certified that the name of the said Francis L. Laque is hereby added to the said patent as a j o-int inventor with the said John H. Foard.

[ SEAL] EDWIN L. REYNOLDS, First Assistant Gammissioner of Patents. 

